Fine Silver Wire

[sublimekate]

Hi,

Feeling silly here, I recently started trying to do some work with silver wire, but I'm not able to get the lovely wrapped effect I see so often. I think my wire is too thick, it melts before I get it anywhere near the bead and drips all over the place, or squishes the bead as I try to lay it on/wrap it around. Do you wrap it around the bead out of the flame and then melt it in? and What is the ideal diameter?? Oh also any recommended suppliers.....ta Kate x

[Diane]

Hi - what I do is to melt the part of the bead where I want to start the silver wrap to red hot and touch the silver wire onto it, take bead out of flame and wrap to the point you want to stop, melt off the silver wire and then melt in the wrap as required.  Dragonfly Lynne has some fine silver wire - very good price and the right thickness.  Here's a linkhttp://www.thedragonflycompany.com/ under 'OTHER SUPPLIES'
Hope this helps.
Diane x

[Mand]

That's inspired me to have a go too! Thanks.

[ebj]

I am a bit of a silver wire addict and have just ordered me 100 m of the stuff I use it that much!  I do just as Diane said and heat the part of the bead where I want the silver to take to the bead and then touch the wire to the red hot part of the bead and then wrap. I then either melt in or let it stay like wire depending on what effect I am after. I get mine from wires.co.uk. 0.375mm I think.

Emma   

[sublimekate]

Thank you, that's great I feel like having another go now. My wire is definitely too thick, and I was wondering if was done out of the flame, that's where I've been going wrong, I've just ordered some more wire so I'll have a go next week and let you know how I go on

[Lush!]

And make sure to use fine silver, not sterling 

[Trudi]

Hi - what I do is to melt the part of the bead where I want to start the silver wrap to red hot and touch the silver wire onto it, take bead out of flame and wrap to the point you want to stop, melt off the silver wire and then melt in the wrap as required.  Dragonfly Lynne has some fine silver wire - very good price and the right thickness.  Here's a linkhttp://www.thedragonflycompany.com/ under 'OTHER SUPPLIES'
Hope this helps.
Diane x

Thanks for that  - never thought of it - I was meting it on in the flame and boy you have to be fast!!!